


It's not a question of deserve

by pinkamour1588



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Banter, Coughing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fever, Fluff, Illnesses, M/M, Nausea, Showers, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sleep, Tea, Teasing, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 21:45:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13667913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkamour1588/pseuds/pinkamour1588
Summary: When Leonard gets sick, he wonders what he did to deserve Jim.





	It's not a question of deserve

Jim leaned against the wall of the elevator, tired after a three-day training mission he’d been asked to oversee since who better to oversee a training mission than the youngest captain in the fleet. He thought back to when the instructor had asked him saying that Jim would be able to provide more practical knowledge to the cadets and be able to keep up with them better. He now thought that was all a bunch of crap used to butter him up to get him to do it.

When he walked into the apartment, he expected to hear Leonard moving about or see him at the kitchen table or on the couch reading. He dropped his bag by the front door and pulled off his boots before heading to the bathroom to shower. He froze in the doorway when he saw his boyfriend curled up on the floor, wrapped in a blanket and using a wadded-up towel as a pillow. The brunette’s face was flushed and there was a half-used box of tissues next to him.

Jim let out a soft sigh and knelt next to him. “Hey, Bones, I’m home,” he said softly, rubbing Leonard’s arm until the doctor jumped a little and opened his eyes.

“Jim? Thought you weren’t gonna be home until Tuesday,” Leonard mumbled, clearly congested.

“It is Tuesday. How long have you been laying here?”

“What time is it?”

“Nine in the morning.”

“Shit.” Leonard tried to scramble onto his feet only to be hit by a wave a nausea and end up leaned over the toilet vomiting.

“Were you on the schedule for the clinic?” Jim asked rubbing his back.

“Yeah,” Leonard choked out between dry heaves.

“I’ll call in for you.”

“No, I can call in myself. Just bring me my comm.”

“It’s fine, babe. I’ll make the call and get you some water.” Jim lightly squeezed Leonard’s shoulder before he stood and walked out to the bedroom. He returned a few minutes later with a glass of water and clean clothes for himself and Leonard.

Leonard gave him a grateful smile as he took the water, rinsing his mouth before just drinking the rest in small sips.

“I’m gonna take a shower and you are going to sit right there because you sound congested as hell,” Jim said as he set the clothes on the counter then went and turned on the shower.

“‘Mkay,” Leonard mumbled, then added belatedly, “Need a shower too.”

“Alright. I’ll go first then you can take one.”

Leonard nodded tiredly, laying his head on the lid of the toilet and focusing on taking slow, deep breaths. When Jim finished and got out, Leonard pulled his shirt off then pushed himself to his feet. He swayed unsteadily then felt Jim’s arms around him.

“Not sure I trust you to not injure yourself showering alone,” Jim said once he realized that he was in fact the only thing keeping the doctor on his feet.

“Not just trying to get some ‘welcome home’ sex?” Leonard joked halfheartedly as Jim helped him out of his pajama pants and boxers.

“‘Welcome home’ sex can wait until you’re not sick.” He helped the brunette into the shower, positioning him under the spray.

Jim grabbed Leonard’s loofa, adding some soap before handing it to him. The doctor scrubbed himself down the best he could, letting Jim get his back for him. Jim turned moved him from under the water to work some his shampoo through the brunette’s hair. While he rinsed it out, Leonard wrapped his arms around him and pressed his face into Jim’s neck.

“Hey, head up. I’m trying to get all the soap out,” Jim said gently.

“‘M tired,” Leonard mumbled.

“Let me get the rest of the shampoo out and then you can dry off and go to bed.”

“Okay.” Leonard tilted his head back to make it a little easier to get the soap out.

A couple minutes later, Jim turned the water off and helped his boyfriend out of the shower. He sat him on the closed toilet lid and wrapped a towel around his shoulders. Jim dried off as quickly as he could and got dressed before helping Leonard dry off and redress. He led a partially asleep brunette to bed and got him settled. As he went to walk away, a hand on his wrist stopped him.

“Stay,” Leonard whispered, fighting to keep his eyes open.

“I’m just gonna get you a water bottle, somewhere more convenient than the toilet to vomit, tissues, and all that. I’ll be right back.”

Leonard frowned but let go of Jim. The blond walked off and returned five minutes later with everything to find Leonard still fighting sleep. He sighed softly, setting everything down before lightly rubbing Leonard’s arm.

“Okay, I’m back.” Jim sat on the edge of the bed.

“Lay down with me?”

“There anything else you need first.”

Leonard thought for a few moments, then answered, “Meds. They’re in a blue bottle in the medicine cabinet. Bring the bottle here.”

Jim nodded as he stood and headed into the bathroom. When he returned, he handed the bottle to Leonard and the water bottle on the nightstand. Once Leonard had taken the two capsules, he put both the water bottle and the bottle of pills on the nightstand. Jim laid down on his side of the bed, smiling when Leonard moved closer and laid his head on his stomach.

“You’re seriously pathetic when you’re sick,” Jim said with a small laugh.

“Shut up.”

Jim smiled and rubbed Leonard’s back gently.

~

He was woken an hour later by a hacking cough from Leonard. When the coughing fit ended, the brunette let out a soft whine as he reached over and grabbed the water bottle.

“I feel like shit,” Leonard grumbled looking over at Jim who was sitting up.

“You kinda look like it.”

Leonard glared a little at him. Jim grinned as he moved closer to his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around him. The brunette sighed and leaned into him, resting his head on Jim’s shoulder.

“Do you want me to make you some soup or tea? You should probably try to get something into your stomach.”

“Soon.”

Jim nodded and stroked Leonard’s side lightly

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” Leonard mumbled against Jim’s neck.

“You were just you. Loving, sexy, adorably grumpy you.”

“Sap.”

“Like you’re never one too.”

“Never said I wasn’t. Just that you’re being sappy right now.”

“You like it though.”

“I never said I didn’t like it.” After a few minutes, he tilted his head to look at Jim.  “Can I take you up on the offer for tea? And maybe you could bring the saltine crackers. Don’t know if I can do soup.”

“Sure thing,” Jim nodded, getting up once Leonard had moved away from him.

Leonard curled up and watched Jim walk out of the bedroom to the kitchen, a small smile on his face. He glanced toward the nightstand, thinking about his dad’s wedding ring tucked away in the back in a small velvet box and his mama’s words when she gave it to him.

_“Leonard Horatio McCoy, the next time I see you and Jim, that boy better have that ring on his finger and you two had better have a wedding to plan.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://pinkamour1588.tumblr.com)


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